The Alberta Mentoring Partnership

Program Description

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lethbridge offer two major programs; The Traditional and the In-School mentoring program. The Traditional program offers children ages six to 16 the opportunity to meet with a volunteer mentor 2 -3 hours each week after school or on the weekends with a focus on developing a friendship. The In-School Mentoring program matches a mentor with a child in Grades 1-9. The mentor and the student meet at the child's school one hour a week during the school year and do fun activities.  Due to an ever growing wait list, the "Occasional Big" program (a new program) was created to offer a bridge to a successful match in the Traditional program. While the child remains on the waiting list, the child and mentor meet once per month for 3- 4 hours. Available Programs:

Occasional Bigs

• • Adult volunteer mentors are matched with young people from ages 6 to 16 who are on the wait list for a Big Brother or Big Sister.  They spend quality one-to-one time together in the community doing fun activities of their choice for a few hours once a month.

Grandparent Mentoring Program

• • Senior/older adult mentors are matched with young people in the In School Mentoring program.  This program takes place at the child's school, during the school year.  The match spends one hour per week together doing fun activities and building a friendship.  The volunteer mentors have the opportunity to meet with other Grandparent Mentoring Program mentors.

Cultural Mentoring

• • Aboriginal mentors are matched with Aboriginal young people in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters or In School Mentoring Programs.  In the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program the mentor and young person spend quality one-to-one time together in the community doing fun activities of their choice a few hours a week for at least a year.  In the In School Mentoring program, the match meets for an hour a week at the young person's school, during the school year, to do fun activities and build a friendship.

In School Mentoring

• • Adult volunteer mentors are matched with young people in elementary and middle schools.  This program takes place at the child’s school, during the school year.  The match spends one hour per week together doing fun activities and building a friendship.

Couples for Kids

• • Adult volunteer couples are matched with young people from ages 6 to 16.  They spend quality one-to-one time together in the community doing fun activities of their choice for a few hours a week for a minimum of a year.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters

• • Adult volunteer mentors are matched with young people from ages 6 to 16.  They spend quality one-to-one time together in the community doing fun activities of their choice for a few hours a week for a minimum of a year.

Kids & Kops

• • This one week summer day camp program brings together Lethbridge Regional Police Service officers with young people who are currently waiting to be matched with a mentor.  Kids & Kops operates as a mini police academy, with educational presentations by various local police officials, and various activities within the community planned by Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Lethbridge.